the ramblings of an English teacher in Shijiazhuang, China

Oahu

This post will be less chronological than the previous since my days became more varied and rather than being pretty much a list of what I did each day like the last couple, I thought it would be more interesting to write thematically. So this post is about the various hikes/walks I did on Oahu.

Lulumahu Falls

We attempted this hike at least twice before actually completing it. Before we’d either do something else instead or there was no parking. After getting dropped off though it was time to start my hiking adventures. According to Theresa this hike was the hardest she was going to take me on, but it was even harder than expected due to the heavy wind and rain we’d had the first few days of my trip. The weather had felled trees which made it difficult to get across and in a couple of places people had put ropes up to help. In one particularly difficult spot the old trail had vanished and in its place was a muddy, slippy drop. It wasn’t particularly long, around 5 or 6 steps, just slippy and with little grip. There was a rope to help but the first step down was daunting. As we reached this point there was already a group there and a girl clinging to the tree refusing to move. Theresa offered to go first but since she couldn’t get around me I had to go. Rather than using a tree root as a foot hold like the people in front had done, I stupidly decided that I could stretch far enough. The drop was exactly the length of my legs it turns out and by stretching that far I caused myself to be unable to use stairs properly for 2 days. I did it though, and spent the rest of the hike loudly telling Theresa how proud of myself I was, and singing the Circle of Life from the Lion King. Eventually, after a scramble up some rocks, we made it to the falls and it was so worth it. They were so pretty and it was really peaceful, especially after the group before us (clinging tree girl had joined them) left. Before too long it was time to go back, and I was apprehensive because down is always harder than up, but it wasn’t too bad, and we took a couple of alternative routes which were easier.

Manoa Falls

After a few days rest from the previous waterfall hike, we tackled one which was easier and more crowded. This hike was much easier, but still had a couple of steps where I got a bit stuck and had to be helped by Theresa. Children were doing this hike, which confirms that indeed, I am worse at hiking than small children. Once we reached the waterfall we stopped for a while and people watched the bro’s swimming in the pool, the dog running around everywhere, and an incredibly bossy child demanding where her mother should feed her. The boulders underneath were roped off for safety, but most people were clambering over them. At one point my heart stopped as an idiot started jumping from rock to rock and nearly fell. The walk back down was simple enough once Theresa provided a helpful hand and then it was back in the car for a sing-a-long for the journey home.

Koko Crater Botanical Gardens

Towards the end of my trip I started looking into what could be done on the island in more detail to make sure I did everything I wanted to do. As part of this, we ventured to Koko Crater Botanical Gardens, via a beautiful bay drive. I wasn’t exceptionally smart on this trip, and decided that flip-flops would be fine to wear. This resulted in my foot being impaled with a spike which had fallen from the plants around, thankfully it didn’t stop me exploring the gardens and trying to spot all the plants on the map. It was a simple enough walk, apart from the impaling and a minor diversion when we couldn’t find the way out, but it was nice to be out in the air on a warm day, and it was fun trying to spot the plants written about in the guide. On the way back we stopped at a lookout over the bay which was incredibly windy but worth it because I spotted some seals!

Friendship Gardens

This was the final hike of my trip, and once again required being dropped off and picked up as there was a lack of parking. At the top was a picture perfect view of Kaneohe Bay and the military base which was so beautiful. Unusually, it wasn’t the down which was hard but the up, and I almost fell dramatically but managed to save myself. Aside from this minor slip it was an easy hike, full of narrow turns as we basically walked up the side of a large hill surrounded by plants of various origins. The gardens were originally designed for use by the residents of the neighbourhood only, and as a result of the neighbourhood being planned to contain a diverse range of people, the plant life reflected this mix of people. One minute there were native plants, then bamboo and other Asian plants. This was common in most of the nature places I visited and I like the idea of people settling on the island and bringing familiar plants with them.

Whilst exploring the nature of Oahu I stretched my thigh too far, waded in water, scrambled up and down boulders, slipped on mud, slipped on dirt, and got impaled. I had a cracking time! Also, getting to the Lulumahu Falls is up there with the greatest achievements of my life 😛

After many hours of travel, I finally arrived in Honolulu airport and was reunited with the Bruce to my Vasper. I was given a beautiful fresh flower lei and was driven across the island to Kaneohe where I would be staying for my trip. Once there I marvelled at the feeling of carpet on my toes, changed into much cooler clothes, and was introduced to Quincy, Theresa’s adorable dog.

The first day is kind of a blur since I was jetlagged from not sleeping on the plane and confused that it was still Thursday! It mainly consisted of eating, praising Beezus, and catching up. The next day I got stuck into island life, starting with mimoas on the balcony overlooking the bay. Once we’d decided to actually move and get dressed we went to the nearby botanical gardens and I got to see more of the islands beauty. That night we went to a local bar (Bob’s) with some of Theresa’s friends for what turned into a hilarious night out. A memorable moment was when some random guy came over and attempted to talk to us, upon learning that I was from the UK he chanted LEEDS LEEDS LEEDS at me for about a minute. When I then informed him that I was from Leeds he refused to believe me, and then refused to leave. He eventually left us alone, and joined some girl on the dance floor who was flailing around spectacularly, so everyone was happy! After trying cinnamon whisky, taking bathroom selfies, and dancing it was time to leave but it was a great night.

On my list of things to do was to see a hula performed, and it turns out a mall has shows for free everyday, so on Saturday we headed across the island to shop and see the performance. Aside from one spectacularly creepy male dancer, it was really good and demonstrated the history and evolution of the dance via songs which was so cool. Since we were at the mall I took the opportunity to buy some souvenirs, including some amazing socks which make it look like you’re wearing flip-flops which I later wore with my flip-flops to Theresa’s disapproving look. We had a minor problem getting home as we ran into a Chinese New Year parade and had to wait for it to pass before we could go. As much as I tried to avoid the Chinatown and Chinese food, China seems to follow me around!

Sunday was meant to be hike day, but high winds and lots of rain the day before meant that the carpark was full as everyone flocked to the hike on a decent day. As a result we went for Mexican food, margaritas, and even more shopping in Kailua. I couldn’t complain, it was a great afternoon and the best hike I’ve ever done! In the evening we went to a Bubbly Sunday dinner party at one of Theresa’s friends house and met Noodles and Pono, who are easily 2 of the cutest dogs I’ve ever seen in my life. It was so much fun to eat good food, drink champagne, and chat to people who all spoke English well! Very unlike China!

My first weekend in Hawaii consisted of relaxing and settling in, eating food, and meeting people. It was so much fun, even if the Thursday was ridiculously long.